Bosnia and Herzegovina Country Overview
Where is Bosnia and Herzegovina located? Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country found in Southeastern Europe. Like Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina is on the time zone map, which divides the world into world time zones along the lines of longitude, in “Central European Time” (MEZ), also called “Central European Time” (CET). In this time zone, the time is always 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC +1). If the time shift to “Central European Summer Time” takes place in summer, the time difference between regional and world time is 2 hours.
Bordering Countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina
According to abbreviationfinder, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a small country in southeastern Europe, situated in the western Balkans region. It is bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east and Montenegro to the southeast. Bosnia and Herzegovina has a total land area of 19,741 square miles (51,129 square kilometers).
The northern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina with Croatia is 545 km long. This border follows a winding path along rivers, mountains, valleys and hills. The largest cities along this border are Dubrovnik on the Croatian side and Mostar on the Bosnian side. This border marks a transition from Mediterranean climate on both sides near its southernmost point before transitioning into continental climate near its northernmost point.
The eastern border with Serbia is 312 km long and runs from Sava River in Republika Srpska all the way up to Drina River in Bosnia-Podrinje Canton. This border marks a transition from hilly terrain on both sides near its center point before transitioning into mountainous terrain near its easternmost point. The largest cities along this border are Belgrade on the Serbian side and Bijeljina on the Bosnian side.
The southern border with Montenegro is 249 km long and runs from Lim River in Republika Srpska all the way up to Tara River in Federation of Bosnia & Herzegovina. This border marks a transition from hilly terrain on both sides near its center point before transitioning into mountainous terrain near its southernmost point. The largest city along this border is Pljevlja which serves as an important economic center for Montenegro as it provides access to Adriatic Sea ports for exports.
The western border with Croatia is 932 km long and runs from Una River in Federation of Bosnia & Herzegovina all the way up to Kupa River in Lika-Senj County of Croatia. This border marks a transition from flat terrain on both sides near its center point before transitioning into hilly terrain near its westernmost point. The largest cities along this border are Split on the Croatian side and Banja Luka on the Bosnian side which serve as important economic centers providing access not only Croatian sea ports but also Adriatic Sea trade routes through Croatia’s canal systems connecting it with other Mediterranean countries like Italy & Greece among others.
Population Distribution
As of 2023, the latest population of Bosnia and Herzegovina is 3,835,586, based on our calculation of the current data from UN (United Nations).
| Total population | 3,835,586 |
| Population growth rate | -0.19% |
| Birth rate | 8.80 births per 1,000 people |
| Life expectancy | |
| Overall life expectancy | 76.12 years |
| Men life expectancy | 73.13 years |
| Women life expectancy | 79.34 years |
| Age structure | |
| 0-14 years | 13.24% |
| 15-64 years | 71.72% |
| 65 years and above | 15.04% |
| Median age | 41.20 years |
| Gender ratio (Male to Female) | 0.95 |
| Population density | 74.92 residents per km² |
| Urbanization | 44.30% |
| Ethnicities | |
| 50.1% Bosniaks, 30.8% Serbs, 15.4% Croats | |
| Religions | |
| Muslim 40%, Serbian Orthodox 31%, Catholics (Roman Catholic) 15%, Protestants 4%, others 10% | |
| Human Development Index (HDI) | 0.769 |
| HDI ranking | 75th out of 194 |
People in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina are not called Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the name might suggest, but simply Bosnians. This includes the three major ethnic groups of Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs. The Croats and Serbs have settled in Bosnia and Herzegovina from neighboring countries. The group of Bosniaks, on the other hand, describes Muslims living in the country who originally come from Bosnia.
The ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina
A good half of the people in Bosnia and Herzegovina are Bosniaks. The next large group is formed by the Serbs, of whom about 30 out of 100 Bosnians belong. 15 out of 100 Bosnians are Croatians. In addition to these three large ethnic groups, there are also several minorities in the country, for example the Jews or the Roma.
Languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The three languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina are Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian. These three languages are very similar to each other because they all belong to the Slavic languages. Therefore, these three languages are sometimes seen as variants of the Serbo-Croatian language and not as separate languages.
Language Bosnia
The difference between the languages in Bosnia is not so much the result of the language itself, rather they are a means by which the ethnic groups of Bosnians, Serbs and Croats differentiate themselves from one another.
The biggest difference between them is in the alphabet, because Bosnian and Croatian are written in the Latin alphabet and Serbian in the Cyrillic alphabet. On street signs, the same term is usually written once in Latin and once in Cyrillic.
Religions in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Which religion a Bosnian belongs to can mainly be deduced from the affiliation to his ethnic group. The Bosniaks are Muslim, the Serbs Orthodox and the Croats Catholic. Minorities like Jews and Roma have their own religions.